The Wu-Tang Clan member who once rapped as Prince Rakeem was RZA. The name was an early stage identity of Robert Diggs, who later became the group’s de facto leader, principal producer, and one of its central creative forces.
Before Wu-Tang Clan’s breakthrough, Diggs was signed to Tommy Boy Records and released the 1991 EP Ooh I Love You Rakeem under the Prince Rakeem name. That release came before the Clan’s landmark debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), which arrived in 1993 and established RZA’s stark, sample-heavy production style.
A common mix-up is confusing Prince Rakeem with GZA, another founding Wu-Tang member. GZA was previously known as The Genius, while Prince Rakeem adopted the name RZA. The two are cousins and began developing music together with Ol’ Dirty Bastard, whose birth name was Russell Jones.
RZA also used several other aliases, including Bobby Digital, The Abbot, and Rzarector. Although many Wu-Tang members have multiple stage names, Prince Rakeem is specifically associated with RZA, making him the single canonical answer to this question.